Man arrested after alleged credit card shopping spree

A Browns Valley man allegedly was caught in the act of using stolen credit cards, after the victim was able to track his purchases online.

The woman, a resident of Iron Horse Place in Grass Valley, called Grass Valley Police at just after 11 a.m. Sunday to report a burglary.

It was not clear how the man, identified as David Denniston, had obtained her cards. The victim said she believed he entered her residence through the front window and stole her cards, a laptop, her house key and a purse belonging to her daughter, while she was asleep upstairs.

A police officer was at the residence, taking a report, when the victim accessed her bank account online and realized the suspect had just made several purchases. Denniston allegedly used her cards to make purchases at several grocery stores and convenience stores, spending between $300 and $350, said Capt. Rex Marks.

"We were able to track the suspect, swoop in and surprise him," Marks said. "He was arrested within the hour."

Denniston was arrested on suspicion of second-degree burglary, burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possessing stolen property, theft using a credit card, forgery, possessing a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was being held in lieu of $26,750 bail.

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The victim gave high marks to the Grass Valley Police Department, saying that one of the officers returned most of the merchandise so that she could get her money refunded.